From The Desk Of Jean Fugett

Resume updated September 2010

2010-09-16T11:10:00.000-04:00

Jean S. Fugett, Jr., Esquire

Phone 410.929.6654
Email Jean@JeanFugett.com

www.JeanFugett.com

EDUCATION

B.A. Cum Laude Amherst College 1972
J.D. George Washington University 1981

BUSINESS EXPERIENCE

1984 Vice President and founding member of TLC Group, Inc.

1984-1987   Director and Vice-Chair of the McCall Pattern Company             Management Committee

1987-1993 Director and Vice Chair of the TLC Beatrice International Food        Management  Committee

1993-1994 Chairman & CEO of TLC Beatrice International Holdings, Inc.

1995 Founded IVR Research and Development Corp.

1996 Founded Ereline, an Interactive Media Firm in Paris, France

1997-1999 General Counsel ASF Systems, Inc.

2000-2004 President Abner Haynes and Associates, Inc.

2008 Principle TLCJR, LLC

2010 Senior Partner Axum Capital Partners

LEGAL EXPERIENCE

1981-1984 Clerk at Lewis & Clarkson New York, New York

1985 Founded Fugett & Associates, P.A.

1987 Founded Fugett & Hitchcock, Attorneys-At-Law

1990-1991 of Counsel to Rifkin, Evans, Lamont & Silver

Fugett Page 2

At Present: Founding Partner National Fugett Law Group d/b/a

Fugett and Associates

Practice includes Finance, Merger and Acquisitions, MBE Law, Entertainment Law, Not-for-Profit Law, Litigation, Real Estate and Government Relations

JOURNALISM

1971 Intern Reporter for the Baltimore Sun

1976 News Reporter for The Washington Post

            1977-1978 Weekend Sports Anchor and Reporter for the CBS
                               affiliate in Washington, D.C.

1979 News Reporter for the Washington Post

            1982-1983 Football Analyst for CBS Sports

2003-2004 Football Analyst for The Football Network

2004 to 2006 Columnist the SportspageDallas Weekly

Presently Blogging on www.JeanFugett.com

PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALL

1972-1975 Player for the Dallas Cowboys, Player Rep 3 years

1976-1979 Player for the Washington Redskins, Player Rep 4 years

OTHER LANGUAGES

Conversational French

SELECT COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES

Former Trustee George Washington University
Chairman Information and Technology Committee

Former Member George Washington University Law School Board of Advisors

Former Member Visitors Committee Harvard Law School

Former Member Board of Advisors University of Maryland College Park

Former Member Board of Visitors SMU Cox Business School

2006 – 2010 Past President of the Steering Committee of the National Football League Players Association Retired Players

2005 – Present Member NFLPA Former Players Board of Directors

2008 –Present Chancellor Maryland Society Sons of the American Revolution

This Week from ASN

2010-09-15T15:09:00.000-04:00

Going into NFL week two, if the team starts out 0 and 2 it is very difficult to turn around the season in the next 14 games and make the playoffs. So looking at next week's schedule already some teams have pressure. The Cincinnati Bengals is one of those teams.

The Baltimore the Ravens have a division game against Cincinnati game a team that already had a loss at New England. The defending division champion. If they lose this weight they know it will be very difficult to repeat as division champions. So, already Cincinnati has a must win situation if the second week of the NFL season.

The Ravens with a short week and a second game on the road are at a distinct disadvantage. The odds makers have this game even and usually the home team has a three point advantage so the experts really think that the Ravens are a better team but the best team does not always win especially on the road in the NFL.

It was really surprising to many to see how easy the Patriots handled the Bengals who were on the road last week. New England was at home and Belichick as a coach is a big game preparation coach and he had a lot of time to prepare for Cincinnati and in that game he exposed many of their weaknesses. Nevertheless, the Bengals still came back to score 24 points. New England is not as good as they looked in the opening game and Cincinnati is not as bad as this looked in that game.

In a game between division rivals the Ravens Bengals game will be closely contested.

The Ravens will show a better offense than they did Monday night and will easily beat the Bengals match ups with TJ Housemandzadah returning to Cincinnati as a Raven!

The Washington Redskins have an interesting contest this week hosting the Houston Texans. Kyle Shanahan Redskins offense when used at the same title last season for the Houston Texans so he has a real advantage knowing all about the personnel of the Houston Texans aren't sure what they will see when they face new Washington Redskins Houston Texans have to be afraid that they may have peaked the whole season last week with their upset of the Houston Texans of the Indianapolis Colts the whole purpose of the season to try to finally be the Colts their division riles it clearly that way to the playoffs is to design the team that would be able to challenge the Indianapolis Colts in the very difficult division which also has a tendency bedcovers that last week by beating the Colts now they have to go on the road and play him in Washington Redskin team that beat the Dallas Cowboys their in-state it will be hard for the Texans to have the same adrenaline and dedication purposes in their efforts against the Redskins that they had ever as we get colds which is a real advantage for the Redskins also they will now be able to run the ball on the Redskins likely rate will against the calls showing weakness that the Colts will have to work this all sees therefore this is a good opportunity for the Redskins was I like to go to school pants because of as the past we were when I played for the Redskins back in the 70s and we were very successful in those pants and I expect the Redskins to although a three point underdog to be the Houston Texans this week because of their advantages.

we're BACK

2010-07-03T14:34:00.000-04:00

We're BACK!!!!

Brandon Fugett dominates @ Penn Invitational

2010-04-04T13:32:00.000-04:00

HOME \| MEN'S SPORTS \| WOMEN'S SPORTS \| ATHLETICS DEPARTMENT \| CAMPUS REC. \| COMMUNITY \| MULTIMEDIA \| FACILITIES \| VISITORS
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TRACK & FIELD Home \| Roster \| Schedule/Results \| News [Printer Friendly] Apr 3, 2010 TAVIK BREAKS SCHOOL SHOT PUT RECORD; 10 TOP-THREE FINISHES AT PENN INVITATIONAL PHILADELPHIA - The Salisbury University track and field team traveled to the University of Pennsylvania on Saturday to compete in the Penn Invitational. It was one of the best meets of the year for the maroon and gold, as the Gulls notched 10 top-three finishes, hit two NCAA automatic qualifying marks and shattered a school record. On the track, junior Chris Barnard (Olney, Md.) and sophomore Becca Stinner (Darnestown, Md.) both captured third-place finishes in the 3000-meter steeplechase, posting times of 9:52.59 and 11:40.89, respectively. The times also mark personal-bests for the athletes. It was also a good day for senior Cory Beebe (Medina, Ohio), whose first-place time of 51.28 seconds in the 400-meter hurdles tied the school record and also qualified him automatically for the NCAA Track and Field Championships. Beebe didn't need the qualifier this time, though, as he already exceeded the standard back on March 20 at the Wake Forest Invitational. Additionally, his 14.82 second time in the 400-meter hurdles earned him a second-place finish and qualified him provisionally for the NCAA Championships. Senior sprinter and NCAA indoor track national champion Delannie Spriggs (Owings, Md.) had two second-place finishes in the 100-meter and 200-meter dash, running 10.63 seconds and 21.72 seconds, respectively. Spriggs' 200-meter time met NCAA provisional qualifying standards. In the field, Sea Gulls dominated the competition on both sides as freshman Chelsea Tavik (Glen Burnie, Md.) shattered her own Salisbury University school shot put record by throwing a 42' 3/4", taking home first place in the event. Senior thrower Brandon Fugett (Randallstown, Md.) also took first place in the shot put, throwing 55' 3" and improving upon the NCAA automatic qualifying mark he already achieved at the Wake Forest Invitational. He also placed first in the discus throw (158' 6") and took home the second place in the hammer throw (152' 5"). Salisbury will look to continue its success as it travels to the West Chester Invitational, hosted by West Chester University, on April 9-10. The meet is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. on both days. Additionally, the Sea Gulls will be hosting the Capital Athletic Conference Track and Field Championships on April 17 at 10 a.m.

RETIRED PLAYER AMENDMENTS TO THE NFLPA CONSTITUTION

2010-03-24T16:49:00.000-04:00

RETIRED PLAYER AMENDMENTS TO THE NFLPA CONSTITUTION

BE IT RESOLVED, that the NFLPA Constitution be amended to provide that:

1.        All references to “retired players” contained in the NFLPA Constitution be changed to “former players”;
2.        The “NFLPA Retired Players Steering Committee” be changed to “Former Players Board of Directors”;
3.        Two (2) non-voting retired members shall be added to the NFLPA Executive Committee. One of the retired members shall be the current NFLPA Steering Committee President and the other retired member shall be one of three Steering Committee members that have been:

a. Nominated by the NFLPA Chapter Presidents;

b. With the candidates thereafter approved by NFLPA Executive Director;

c. And then selected by a majority vote of the NFLPA Chapter Presidents.

4. In addition to the Steering Committee President, the other retired player member invited to attend the NFLPA Board of Player Representatives meeting pursuant to Section 2.11 of the Constitution shall be a Steering Committee member, selected by a majority vote of the Steering Committee members;
5. A third retired player member shall be invited to attend the NFLPA Board of Player Representatives Meeting pursuant to Section 2.11, selected from among the Chapter Presidents by a majority vote of the Chapter Presidents.

The following additional resolutions pertaining to former players also passed:

Fine Money to PAT and Charities of Player’s Choice

WHEREAS, only 25% of player fine money is contributed to the Players Assistance Trust (PAT) Fund;

BE IT RESOLVED THAT, the NFLPA negotiators use their best efforts to include a provision in the new CBA that 50% of player fine money will be contributed to the PAT Fund and the remaining 50% will be given to a charity of the player’s choice.

Interest from Savings to PAT

WHEREAS, the current allocation of lock-out interest savings would be allocated towards NFLPA lock-out funds,

BE IT RESOLVED THAT, the NFLPA shall make best efforts to have interest from savings go towards the PAT/PAF or other benefits for former players at such time that a lock out fund is no longer needed.

a View of from Pittsburgh on NFL Labor Talks

2010-02-14T14:25:00.000-05:00

Harris: NFL owners figure to win labor fight

Buzz up!

By John Harris, PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Saturday, February 13, 2010

About the writer

John Harris is a Pittsburgh Tribune-Review sports columnist and can be reached at412-481-5432 or via e-mail.

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Here's a sports fan's eye-view of the cantankerous labor negotiations between NFL owners and players:

On the way to the posh Four Seasons hotel in New York City to hammer out a deal, the players' Ferrari collides with the owners' limo. During an argument over who's at fault, a plate of Waterford China carrying Beluga caviar is shattered.

Mayhem ensues, and an arbitrator sends both sides to a neutral corner.

Perceptions being what they are, the sports public doesn't give a hoot about who's right, who's at fault, how much money players are making, or how much money team owners are losing.

Joe Pittsburgh is paid by the hour, lives paycheck to paycheck and has just enough money left over to buy a marked-down, size XXL authentic Troy Polamalu game jersey.

It's bad enough that grown men can become rich playing a kid's game and that in many NFL cities taxpayers foot the bill to finance the stadiums where the games are played.

But being forced to read and hear about billionaire owners squabbling with millionaire athletes over profit margins when the American economy is trying to stave off disaster is a slap in the face to sports fans everywhere.

The bottom line is no one wants to see a work stoppage in 2011. Owners and players would be foolish to kill their golden goose.

This is all about give and take. And it doesn't matter what side's giving and what side's taking.

Commissioner Roger Goodell, who represents the owners, wants the players to agree to a rookie wage scale. Union chief DeMaurice Smith, who represents the players, wants owners to give some of that concession money to veteran players.

Neither side is budging.

What's the problem? The NFL is experiencing unbridled prosperity.

The league is coming off a season in which Super Bowl XLIV between the New Orleans Saints and Indianapolis Colts was the most-watched program in the history of television with an average of 106.5 million viewers, taking over the spot held for 27 years by the final episode of M*A*S*H.

A commercial spoofing Doritos during Super Bowl XLIV was seen by an estimated 116.2 million viewers, making it the all-time most-viewed airing of a TV commercial.

Advertisers paid as much as $2.8 million for a 30-second commercial during the game.

Smith said the league would receive $5 billion from its television network deals even if no games are played in 2011. That would give owners less incentive to strike a deal.

Players, on the other hand, won't be paid if no games are played in 2011.

Baltimore Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti said that some teams are bleeding money. But why ask players to make concessions now?

If owners want players to give back money, why are they paying them so much in the first place?

Why did Washington Redskins owner Daniel Snyder sign defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth to a $100 million contract with $41 million guaranteed last year?

Why did the Detroit Lions give No. 1 overall draft pick Matthew Stafford $41 million guaranteed? The Lions are owned by William Clay Ford Sr., whose family's other business, Ford Motor Company, is struggling to sell cars. Still, the Lions lavished money on an unproven rookie quarterback before he took his first NFL snap.

Why did Indianapolis owner Jim Irsay tell reporters during Super Bowl week that he wants to make quarterback Peyton Manning the highest-paid player in the league, including up to $50 million in bonus money?

If teams are hurting financially, how can Irsay reward Manning with a record-setting contract?

The owners set the pay scale. Now they're asking the players to save them from themselves.

And if the players don't go along with the program, they'll be cast as greedy money-grubbers who don't care about the fans who buy their jerseys and support their teams, even in a recession.

Given that the owners have a built-in $5 billion nest-egg in the event the league closes shop in 2011, the players figure to be the ones giving and the owners taking in order for labor peace to ensue.

NFL Rewards NFL Executives

2010-02-13T12:32:00.000-05:00

Updated: February 12, 2010, 7:07 PM ET

Goodell gets contract through 2015

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Associated Press

NEW YORK -- NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has been given a new five-year contract as the league heads into a key period of labor negotiations that could lead to a work stoppage in 2011.

Goodell replaced Paul Tagliabue on Sept. 1, 2006, and his contract was due to expire this September. The NFL said Friday that owners voted to award the new contract when they met in December, and his new deal runs until March 2015.

[+] Enlarge

Scott Boehm/Getty ImagesRoger Goodell made just south of $10 million last season, of which $2.9 million was salary and $6.55 million was bonus and incentive compensation.

"We're going into a major negotiation. It will be very difficult probably in many ways and we want to have someone who has his own views, who's going to have to make some hard decisions that maybe some of us won't like," New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft said during a telephone interview.

"But in the end, I think we're confident that he and his team will do what's for the best long-term interest of the league," said Kraft, a member of the league's compensation committee. "Having stability in our management team is critical."

Goodell's new deal and the NFL's latest federal tax filing were first reported Friday by Sports Business Journal, and the league then released the information to The Associated Press.

Next season, the last in the current agreement, is on track to be played without a salary cap. NFL Players Association executive director DeMaurice Smith said last week the union views the chance of a lockout as a "14" on a scale of 1-to-10. That would end a streak of labor peace since the 1987 strike led to the cancellation of 14 games and three weeks of play with replacement players.

"Commissioner Goodell and his staff have done an outstanding job and this is a statement of confidence in Roger's leadership," said Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank, who chairs the compensation committee. "NFL ownership recognizes his already significant list of accomplishments and is fully behind his strategic vision for the future of our league."

“
It's a tremendous amount of money. But if you look at it on a competitive basis, you understand that we can't bring in people from the outside and overnight they know what they're doing. We have to promote people from within because it's a complicated organization.
”-- Patriots owner Bob Kraft on Roger Goodell's extension

While all terms of the new deal have not been completed, Blank said Goodell's annual compensation will be unchanged.

The NFL said a year ago that Goodell voluntarily took a cut of 20 to 25 percent, and that he and other league executives were freezing their salaries for 2009. That announcement was made at the same time the league announced it cut 169 jobs through buyouts, layoffs and other staff reductions, a drop of just over 15 percent of a work force that had been 1,100.

The tax return for the year ending last March 31 showed Goodell made $9,759,000, of which $2.9 million was salary and $6.55 million bonus and incentive compensation.

Baseball commissioner Bud Selig had compensation of $17,470,491 for the year ending Oct. 31, 2007, according to the sport's last available tax return.

"I think Roger and his team run the entire business in a way that in today's economic environment is just outstanding," Kraft said. "And I'm comfortable with the way we're rewarding him. He on his own declined to take a bonus that we wanted to give him last year because he didn't think it was appropriate."

Compensations listed for other top officials included executive vice president of media Steve Bornstein ($7,478,000). executive vice president and general counsel Jeff Pash ($4,845,000), executive vice president business ventures Eric Grubman ($4,453,000), executive vice president public relations and government relations Joe Browne ($1,741,000), executive vice president football operations Ray Anderson ($1,158,000) and chief financial officer Anthony Noto ($853,000). Tagliabue received $3,195,000.

In a separate filing, executive vice president Harold Henderson was listed at $2,087,000.

"It's a tremendous amount of money. But if you look at it on a competitive basis, you understand that we can't bring in people from the outside and overnight they know what they're doing," Kraft said. "We have to promote people from within because it's a complicated organization. They're a lot of nuances. So we have to find good people, develop them and then make sure we're compensating them very fairly. Otherwise they would have alternatives of going to other places."

NBA Players React to NBA Porposal

2010-02-13T12:30:00.000-05:00

Updated: February 13, 2010, 2:40 AM ET

Hunter: No lockout imminent

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Associated Press

Hunter

DALLAS -- The executive director of the NBA players' association said Friday the league tore up its proposal for a new collective bargaining agreement after a "contentious" 90-minute session.

But Billy Hunter said that doesn't mean the league is closer to a lockout when the current deal expires on July 1, 2011.

"No, I think that everybody has a different sense of things and nobody wants to see this thing that David Stern has worked and built, the NBA, the successful entity that it is, the brand, we're not out to damage it or destroy it," Hunter said after a press conference.

"So we're going to make every effort to get an agreement done, we just want an agreement that's a lot more equitable and one that doesn't have a structure that's oppressive."

Hunter said the union will submit its own proposal, but offered no timetable for when that would happen. He's in no rush, since the players believe the current system is working for both sides, and it doesn't expire for another 16 months.

The sides met Friday, with negotiators for the players fortified by the presence of All-Stars such as LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony and Kevin Garnett, who came to the meeting instead of attending the community service events they were scheduled for. A number of top players vowed earlier in the day to get more involved in the process.

"We should be involved," Anthony said before the meeting. "It's not only going to affect the players with the lesser contracts, it's going to affect us, too.

“
I think what we made clear today is that where they are is not relevant to where we are. We're not going to begin where they say begin. I think that was the purpose of going in today, to make sure they understood that their proposal was not the beginning of the conversation.
”-- Players' union president Derek Fisher

"When you walk into one of those meetings, one of those CBA meetings, and you see myself, you see the LeBrons and the Kobes and the Kevin Garnetts, it's a stronger presence. So I think we should go in and make our presence felt."

Hunter said the union received the proposal on Jan. 29. It calls for dramatic financial changes, with Hunter saying the league seeks a "hard" salary cap which would eliminate the Bird and midlevel exceptions that teams over the cap can use to sign players if they are willing to pay a luxury tax.

Los Angeles Lakers guard Derek Fisher, the union president, said the players made clear there was "not any way that we were going to be able to use [the proposal] as a starting point for future collective bargaining negotiations."

"I think what we made clear today is that where they are is not relevant to where we are. We're not going to begin where they say begin," Fisher said. "I think that was the purpose of going in today, to make sure they understood that their proposal was not the beginning of the conversation."

Deputy commissioner Adam Silver, who heads the league's negotiating team, said in a statement that, "While we do not agree with the players association's characterization of today's meeting or the status of the NBA's bargaining proposal, David will address the subject of collective bargaining during his media availability prior to All-Star Saturday night."

A person who had seen the proposal told The Associated Press on Thursday that it called for first-round picks to have their salaries cut by about one-third, would reduce the minimum salary by as much as 20 percent, and would guarantee contracts for only half their value. Also, the total value of a maximum salary would drop sharply, as would the total years players could sign for.

The proposal rallied the players, especially after Hunter forwarded them comments from an executive who recently told CBSSports.com that, "if they don't like the new max contracts, LeBron can play football, where he will make less than the new max. Wade can be a fashion model or whatever. They won't make squat and no one will remember who they are in a few years."

"I think that maybe they underestimated the response, the blowback that they were going to get to the proposal," said Hunter, who added it would affect "every player at every level in the NBA" and included "everything that [management] could ever think of."

The players' share of basketball-related income would also be slashed from the current 57 percent to well below half. Hunter countered that instead of players giving up so much, the NBA needed to expand its revenue sharing so larger market teams could help the smaller market ones.

"Our position was it was a nonstarter," Hunter said of the proposal.

Hunter said the league wants a new CBA before this July, so it can be in place before the expected stellar free agent class headlined by James. He added the league seeks "retroactive modification," meaning contracts signed under the current deal would then have to conform to the rules of the new one.

The differences in their positions have created fears of the first work stoppage since a lockout that reduced the 1999 season to 50 games. They opened talks and exchanged financial information last summer to get an early start on bargaining, and Hunter said he was surprised by the strength of the league's proposal after those sessions went well.

New Orleans guard Chris Paul is currently the only All-Star on the bargaining committee, but whenever talks resume, it sounds as if the top players plan to stay involved.

"I think we've learned a lot from the past bargaining agreement," San Antonio's Tim Duncansaid. "That was a big turning point in the last one, when a lot of the big guys stepped up and made their voices heard. That helped the situation. I think everyone will be involved a lot more this time. People will understand what it takes. Everyone understands changes are going to be made. We need to step up and make our voices heard so it's not an extreme change."

The College Football Business Had a Good Year

2010-01-30T17:24:00.000-05:00

BCS Group Releases 2009-10 Revenue Distribution Data

Courtesy of the BCS

The conferences and institutions participating in the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) today released unofficial and estimated data of the net revenue from the 2010 games. For the first time, two conferences that have not earned annual automatic qualification for their champions (the Mountain West and the Western Athletic) played in the BCS games in the same year, which will lead to a record-breaking distribution to non-AQ conferences, estimated to be $24 million.

As a result of a decision made by the five non-AQ conferences in 2004, that estimated $24 million will be allocated among those conferences, instead of remaining within the two conferences whose teams played in BCS bowl games.

The five non-AQ conferences decided to distribute the $24 million as follows:

Mountain West $9.8 million Western Athletic $7.8million Conference USA $2.8 million Mid-American $2.1 million Sun Belt $1.5 million

In addition to the estimated $24 million that these conferences are expected to receive from the appearances of TCU of the Mountain West and Boise State of the WAC in the BCS games, the following distributions are expected to be made to the six AQ conferences:

Atlantic Coast, Big East, Big 12, Pac-10 -- $17.7 million each Big Ten, Southeastern -- $22.2 million each (Note: These two conferences each had two teams in the BCS bowls, which is why their expected distributions are higher than those of the other AQ conferences.)

“Because of the BCS, all 11 conferences have more access, more revenue and more opportunity from post-season football than before the creation of the BCS, and we’re very proud of that record,” said Bill Hancock, BCS Executive Director. “In addition, the non-AQ conferences decide what to do with the money earned by their teams that qualify for the BCS bowl games. It’s theirs to keep or divide as they see fit. The expected allocation is a result of their decision.”

Statement from Concerned Retired NFL Players after meeting Friday in Washington

2010-01-18T13:17:00.000-05:00

"Individual owners and teams have spent exactly nothing on retired player benefits. In fact, until the NFLPA and the Retired Players Association pushed them this year, they have even denied the long term consequences of concussions suffered while playing football. We have asked George Martin to ask the NFL, "Why?" The elected representatives of the retired players have asked George by letter and invited him to this retired players meeting today. He has refused to answer and refused to attend. We want to know why the teams contribute nothing to retired players and why $31 million profit per club isn't enough. The simple fact is the teams sell the legacy of retired players, but pay nothing for it. Every fan should know that as they look at their stadiums ring of fame, none of those players have received a dime from the teams since their last play. George Martin knows that better than anyone.

Jean Fugett, Chair

NFLPA Retired Players Steering Committee and former Dallas Cowboy and Washington Redskin

Nolan Harrison, Steering Committee

Former Pittsburgh Steeler, Former Oakland Raider, Former Washington Redskin

Mike McBath, Orlando Chapter President

Former Buffalo Bill

Isiah Robertson, Dallas Chapter President

Former Buffalo Bill

Charles Mann,

Former Washington Redskin and Superbowl Player

Brig Owens,

Former Washington Redskin

Ray Schoenke,

Former Washington Redskin

Ken Valdisserri,

Gridiron Greats

Don Jackson, Sports Agent

Clark Gaines, Assistant Executive Director,

Former New York Jet, Former Kansas City Chief

Andre Collins, NFLPA Retired Players,

Former Washington Redskin, Former Detroit Lion, Cincinnati Bengal, Chicago Bear

DeMaurice F. Smith, Executive Director

NFL Players Association

Mourning Our Counselor

2009-12-27T09:13:00.000-05:00

Percy Sutton, attorney for Malcolm X and pioneering media mogul, dead at 89

By Cristian Salazar (CP) – 4 hours ago

NEW YORK — Percy Sutton, the pioneering U.S. civil rights attorney who represented Malcolm X before launching successful careers as a political power broker and media mogul, died Saturday at age 89.

Marissa Shorenstein, a spokeswoman for Gov. David Paterson, confirmed Sutton's death. She did not know the cause. His daughter, Cheryl Sutton, declined to comment when reached by phone at her New York City home on Saturday before midnight.

The son of a slave, Percy Sutton became a fixture on 125th Street in Harlem after moving to New York City following his service with the famed Tuskegee Airmen in World War II. His Harlem law office, founded in 1953, represented Malcolm X and the slain activist's family for decades.

The consummate politician, Sutton served in the New York State Assembly before taking over as Manhattan borough president in 1966, becoming the highest-ranking black elected official in the state.

Sutton also mounted unsuccessful campaigns for the U.S. Senate and mayor of New York, and served as political mentor for the Rev. Jesse Jackson's two presidential races.

"The godfather," Jackson once called him.

In a statement released Saturday night, Gov. David Paterson called Sutton a mentor and "one of New York's and this nation's most influential African-American leaders."

"Percy was fiercely loyal, compassionate and a truly kind soul," Paterson continued. "He will be missed but his legacy lives on through the next generations of African-Americans he inspired to pursue and fulfil their own dreams and ambitions."

In 1971, with his brother Oliver, Sutton purchased WLIB-AM, making it the first black-owned radio station in New York City. His Inner City Broadcasting Corp. eventually picked up WBLS-FM, which reigned for years as New York's top-rated radio station, before buying stations in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Detroit and San Antonio between 1978-85.

The Texas purchase marked a homecoming for the suave and sophisticated Sutton, born in San Antonio on Nov. 24, 1920, the youngest of 15 children.

Among Sutton's other endeavours was his purchase and renovation of the famed Apollo Theater when the Harlem landmark's demise appeared imminent.

Sutton's father, Samuel, was born into slavery just before the Civil War. The elder Sutton became principal at a segregated San Antonio high school, and he made education a family priority: All 12 of his surviving children attended college.

When he was 13, Percy Sutton endured a traumatic experience that drove him inexorably into the fight for racial equality. A police officer approached Sutton as the teen handed out NAACP pamphlets. "N-, what are you doing out of your neighbourhood?" he asked before beating the youth.

When World War II arrived, Sutton's enlistment attempts were rebuffed by Southern white recruiters. The young man went to New York, where he was accepted and joined the Tuskegee Airmen.

After the war, Sutton earned a law degree in New York while working as a post office clerk and a subway conductor. He served again as an Air Force intelligence officer during the Korean War before returning to Harlem in 1953 and establishing his law office with brother Oliver and a third partner, George Covington.

In addition to representing Malcolm X for a decade until his 1965 assassination, the Sutton firm handled the cases of more than 200 defendants arrested in the South during the 1963-64 civil rights marches. Sutton was also elected to two terms as president of the New York office of the NAACP.

After Malcolm's assassination, Sutton worked as lawyer for Malcolm's widow, Betty Shabazz. He represented her grandson, 12-year-old Malcolm Shabazz, when the youth was accused of setting a 1997 fire that caused her death.

Sutton was elected to the state Legislature in 1965, and quickly emerged as spokesman for its 13 black members. His charisma and eloquence led to his selection as Manhattan borough president in 1966, completing the term of Constance Baker Motley, who was appointed federal judge.

Two years later, Sutton announced a run for the U.S. Senate seat held by Jacob Javits, although he pulled out of the Democratic primary to back Paul O'Dwyer.

Sutton remained in his Manhattan job through 1977, the same year he launched a doomed campaign for mayor that ended with Edward I. Koch defeating six competitors for the Democratic nomination.

Sutton was among the first voices raised against the Vietnam War, surrendering his delegate's seat at the 1968 Democratic convention in protest and supporting anti-war candidate George McGovern four years later against incumbent President Richard Nixon.

In addition to his radio holdings, Sutton also headed a group that owned The Amsterdam News, the second largest black weekly newspaper in the country. The paper was later sold.

Sutton's devotion to Harlem and its people was rarely more evident than when he spent $250,000 to purchase the shuttered Apollo Theater in 1981. The Apollo turned 70 in 2004, a milestone that was unthinkable until Sutton stepped in to save the landmark.

Sutton "retired" in 1991, but his work as an adviser, mentor and confidante to politicians and businessmen never abated. He was among a group of American businessmen selected during the Clinton administration to attend meetings with the Group of Seven (G-7) Nations in 1995-96.

"He was a great man," said Charles Warfield Jr., the president and chief operating officer of ICBC Broadcast Holdings Inc., reached early Sunday morning. He declined to comment further out of respect, he indicated, for the wishes of Sutton's family. The Rev. Al Sharpton planned a news conference Sunday to talk about Sutton's life and legacy.

Percy Sutton dies at 89, was member of Tuskegee Airmen
Examiner.com - 2 hours ago
Percy Sutton, Malcolm X attorney, dies at 89
The News Chronicle (blog) - 3 hours ago
Percy Sutton, attorney for Malcolm X and pioneering media mogul, dead at 89
Baltimore Sun - 8 hours ago
More coverage (10) »

A Tragedy from today's Sun

2009-11-30T18:25:00.000-05:00

www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/howard/bal-md.riverhill30nov30,0,630398.story

baltimoresun.com

Ex-River Hill player charged in fatal DUI

Current football team member dies, another injured in crash

By Meredith Cohn and Katherine Dunn

Baltimore Sun reporters

November 30, 2009

A former River Hill High School football player is facing drunken-driving and vehicular-manslaughter charges after a crash early Sunday that killed a current player for the defending state champions and injured the team's captain. The accident came just two days after a loss that knocked the team out of the playoffs.

David Dixon Erdman II, 22, lost control of his truck on Folly Quarter Road near Buckskin Lake Drive, struck three stone ornamental pillars and overturned, police said.

Seventeen-year-old senior Steven Joseph Dankos, of the 13000 block of Brighton Dam Road in Clarksville, was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident.

Erdman, of the 4300 block of Heritage Hill Lane in Ellicott City, was transported to Howard County General Hospital for minor injuries, police said. His brother, 17-year-old Thomas Erdman, was taken to Maryland Shock Trauma Center but was discharged, according to the hospital.

Dankos and the younger Erdman were linemen for the River Hill team that had won two straight state championships and extended its winning streak to 40 straight games before losing in Friday night's state semifinal at Huntingtown.

Thomas Erdman, the team captain, has been the team's top defensive lineman, with a knack for forcing fumbles and recovering them. David Erdman, a 2005 River Hill graduate, was an All-Howard County lineman for the Hawks and went on to play at Wesley College in Delaware, where he was named a D3football.com All-American.

Patti Caplan, the Howard County school system spokeswoman, said the principal and a crisis intervention team met Sunday at the school in preparation for the next school day and the grief-stricken staff and students.

As players on the football team, the boys were well known, said Caplan.

"The team just had that game at state playoffs Friday night, and I know they were really a tight-knit team," said Caplan, "This is just so tragic. It's tragic any time we lose a young person, but even more devastating at this time of the year and given the season this team just had."

River Hill coach Brian van Deusen, who coached all three players, could not be reached for comment. Their families also could not be reached for comment.

Mike Harrison, head coach at Wilde Lake, remembered all three young men, especially the Erdman brothers.

"There was a lot of football talent involved in that accident," Harrison said. "The one who sticks the most in my mind is the one who just finished playing [Thomas Erdman]. He was a factor. When you played them you had to scheme to play around him a little bit. ... The whole thing about River Hill being able to run the ball was the upsurge of the play of that line and his brother was a part of that as well."

The Hawks had been bitterly disappointed after losing Friday night in Calvert County, but Dankos' death puts football games in a different light, said Harrison.

"That was a football game. This is life," he said. "It does put things into perspective. I think Brian would say the same thing. There is something bigger than what we're doing with the kids on the field."

"It's one of the hardest things that you deal with when you deal with young kids, to be in that situation where you try to coach them and mentor them and have them grow up and make great decisions and then something happens," said Harrison, who has been coaching in Howard County since 1986. "It's going to be a hard thing for the River Hill program to have to deal with."

Rededication of Joseph R Fugett Middle School

2009-11-28T10:10:00.000-05:00

Rededication & Open House
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
West Chester
Joseph R. Fugett
Middle School
Welcome to J. R. Fugett Middle School
and the
West Chester Area School District
The metamorphosis of J. R. Fugett Middle School is the final phase in the district’s comprehensive
secondary schools’ construction plan. This plan, which began in 2003, included additions and renovations
to East and B. Reed Henderson High Schools, and the construction of Bayard Rustin High
School. The high school portion was completed in 2006.
Some of the required renovations at Fugett were accomplished as part of the work on the adjoining
East building. Thus, the roof at Fugett was replaced as an extension of the roof replacement at East.
New doors and windows were installed, and the building exterior received a much needed scrubbing
with a hydro spray. In addition, the parking lot was expanded and repaved, and some asbestos was
removed from the interior.
Major construction, which included tearing down existing interior walls and reconfiguring
instructional spaces, did not begin until the summer of 2007. To provide the best possible learning
environment for the students, the project was completed over a three-year period with the bulk of
construction occurring during the summer months.
The first phase, completed in the summer of 2007, centered around the academic wing which was
renovated with brand new science classrooms; other classroom spaces were better equipped to meet
specific instructional needs. Two additional classrooms now occupy an area once filled by locker bays
on each floor. A work room for teachers and an office for a guidance counselor were added on each
floor. New bathrooms and HVAC system were installed.
Phase two, accomplished during the summer of 2008, involved the unified arts area and included
new updated rooms for art, music, technical education, and family and consumer sciences. During
this phase, the family and consumer sciences classrooms were moved to the lower level to provide
additional spaces for art and music rooms. The cafeteria was renovated as part of this phase as well.
The final phase, completed this past summer and fall, involved the library, administration area,
gymnasium, and auditorium. The administration area was enlarged and reconfigured to better serve
the school community. A two-story addition, added in front of the auditorium and gymnasium,
provides room for a television studio, student council room, bathrooms and storage space.
J. R. Fugett Middle School students are part of a total population of almost 12,000 students
who attend 16 district schools. The district covers a 75-square-mile area that includes West Chester
Borough (the Chester County seat) and the Chester County townships of East Goshen, West Goshen,
East Bradford, West Whiteland, Westtown and Thornbury. Thornbury Township in neighboring
Delaware County is also a part of the district.
Students in the district are supported with a $198.7 million budget for 2009-10 and a professional
staff of approximately 900 headed by Superintendent Dr. James R. Scanlon. The educational program
is comprehensive and designed to meet varying student needs, interests, and talents. In all areas, from
academics to music to sports, students bring home honors on the regional, state, and national levels
every year. Students at Fugett are part of this record of achievement.
The rededication of the
new and renovated facilities
at J. R. Fugett Middle School
is an exciting milestone in the
school’s history and brings
to a close the very ambitious
upgrading of the district’s
secondary school facilities
whch began six years ago.
This day brings a great deal
of satisfaction to the members
of the Board of Education.
To fully appreciate the significance of this rededication,
it is necessary to understand how the completion of
these renovations fit into the broader view the district’s
administration and Board of Education have had since
2000 regarding its secondary facilities.
Between 2000 and 2003, the Board of Education
made some important decisions regarding the organization
of the district’s secondary schools. The most significant
was to build a third high school and develop a feeder
system for kindergarten through grade twelve. Parents of
our elementary school students now know, in advance,
the educational path their children will follow through
middle school and high school.
From the School Board President:
Rededication of J. R. Fugett Middle School is an exciting milestone
James T. Smith
2009-10 Board
(Board at completion of project)
James T. Smith, President
Susan J. Carty, Vice President
Martha Carson-Gentry
Terri Clark
James B. Davison
Jeffrey T. Seagraves
Dr. Ricky Swalm
Gail Tomassini
Rogers W. Vaughn
2001 Board
(Voted for secondary school project)
Dr. Debra Arvanites, President
Terri Clark, Vice President
Marion R. Bartram
Dr. Cynthia Benzing
Joseph P. Green, Jr., Esq.
John Rutland
Jeffrey T. Seagraves
Thomas G. Wolpert, Esq.
Bonnie R. Yost
West Chester
Area
School Board
James T. Smith, President
West Chester Area School Board
That decision put in motion the need to build Rustin
High School, renovate Henderson and East High Schools,
and finish improvements to all our secondary schools by
upgrading Fugett Middle School to meet current state
standards. With the completion of these renovations, the
students and faculty of Fugett now have a first class facility
to carry on the district’s tradition of quality education
through the 21st century.
I would like to thank Kevin Campbell and his staff
for their tireless efforts that made this final project a reality.
I would also like to thank Principal Joe Morris and
his building staff for their patience over the last three
years as construction, at times, disrupted their routine.
In addition, the Board of Education would like to recognize
the taxpayers of this community for their continued
support for quality education.
Thanks for being part
of the celebration to rededicate
J. R. Fugett Middle
School. Today we celebrate
three years of renovations
to a building that has
served more than 30,000
students since it opened
in 1969. Originally known
as East Junior High, the
building was renamed as J.
R. Fugett Middle School in
1977. With this rededication, we expect the building to
serve another 30,000 students for many years to come.
When the building opened in the late 1960’s, it was
considered to be state of the art. Little did we know how
fast technology would develop. Today, the new J. R. Fugett
Middle School stands ready to meet new technological
challenges of the 21st century. Its library is equipped
with wireless Internet access, houses 60 computers available
for student use, and lists a library collection of more
than 18,000 titles. Science labs, art rooms, writing labs
and math labs with computer access will help prepare
our students for today’s world.
Dr. James R. Scanlon
From the Superintendent of Schools:
Today we celebrate three years of renovations
James R. Scanlon, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools
A building is only as good as the people who occupy
it. The Fugett staff, along with a supportive parent
and local community, is ready to assist students as they
pursue educational challenges and academic rigor.
I challenge our current students and the generations
that follow to take advantage of the opportunities provided
by this community and staff. In addition to academics,
there are many extra-curricular opportunities that help
our students achieve their personal best.
Our community has supported the renovation of
its schools because it understands the value of a quality
education for students and for all residents in the West
Chester Area School District. Research has proven a
positive correlation to a positive learning environment
and student achievement. The new Fugett is an example
of such a facility.
On behalf of the students, faculty, staff and the
administration of the West Chester Area School District,
I want to thank the community for supporting our
schools and our students. Our tradition of educational
excellence will continue. I welcome you to the “new” J. R.
Fugett Middle School.
I would like to take this opportunity on behalf of the
parents, students, teachers, and support staff of Joseph
R. Fugett Middle School to
thank our community, the
administration, and the
West Chester Area School
Board for turning our
building into a state-ofthe-
art educational facility.
As I reflect back over
the past several years, the
transformational journey
which I was a part
of, was both exciting and
challenging and will not
soon be forgotten. I was
able to witness the excitement
and increased energy
level of our teachers,
staff, and students as each
phase of the renovations
was completed. Today, J.
R. Fugett Middle School
is a cutting edge educational
facility. It offers a more welcoming environment,
a brighter and livelier space, a platform where our teachers
will not be limited in their ability to educate, and a
school where our students will have improved opportunities
to learn.
The Fugett community now has a greater opportunity
to meet the challenges of the future through these
advanced educational resources which include: a new
infrastructure that will enhance communications, the
expansion of our ability to access learning, and the
ability to better provide for the individual needs of all
students. The building was designed to increase the capa-
The J. R. Fugett Middle School administrative staff (l-r): Principal
Joseph Morris, Assistant Principal Dr. Judy Kay Maxwell,
and Assistant Principal James Attanasio.
From the Building Principal:
Meeting the challenges of the future
Mission Statement
The mission of the West Chester Area School District is to
educate and inspire our students to achieve their personal best.
Joseph F. Morris, Principal
J. R. Fugett Middle School
“Home of the Cougars”
bility to support the delivery of the district’s comprehensive
middle school programs and to equip our students
with the skills and knowledge
that will allow them to
stand tall in their place in
this, the 21st century.
As the principal, I am
extremely proud of being
a part of an educational
community that understands
the value of providing
the very best facilities
and educational environment
for our students. With
the modifications that have
been made to the J. R.
Fugett Middle School, the
goals stated in the district’s
mission statement and
vision will be more easily
attained. It has been inspiring
and a privilege to have
been a part of the entire
renovation process and I
look forward, with excitement, as our teachers and staff
guide and educate our students in this new and modern
facility.
Special Thanks
Renovating a school is a cooperative effort involving staff, parents,
and members of the outside community. The West Chester Area School
District gratefully acknowledges the efforts of the many individuals and
organizations that contributed to our J. R. Fugett Middle School project
including:
The West Chester Area School Board
The West Goshen Township Board of Supervisors
The following district personnel and their staff members:
Marc Bertrando, Assistant Superintendent, Secondary Education
Kevin Campbell, Director of Facilities and Operations
Dr. Suzanne K. Moore, Director of Business Affairs
Joseph F. Morris, Principal, J. R. Fugett Middle School
Construction crews and workers
Rededication Planning Committee
Parents and students
Library
classroom
Orchestra
rehearsal
Rededication Ceremony
December 1, 2009
6:30 p.m.
Pledge of Allegiance........................................................................................................................Olivia Rogers
Student Council Representative
Star Spangled Banner...................................................................................................Fugett Chorale and Band
Welcome ................................................................................................................................ Dr. James R. Scanlon
Superintendent of Schools
Remarks...........................................................................................................................James T. Smith, President
WCASD School Board
Comments...................................................................................................................... Joseph F. Morris, Principal
J. R. Fugett Middle School
Reflections......................................................................................................................................... Jean Fugett, Jr.
Grandnephew of J. R. Fugett
Presentation of Key to School.........................................................................................................Thomas Gilbert
Gilbert Architects
Presentation of Student Council Gift............................................................................................Karalyn Berman
Student Council Representative
Presentation of Time Capsule .......................................................................................................Kevin Campbell
Director of Facilities & Operations
Ribbon Cutting ....................................................................................... James T. Smith, School Board President
Dr. James R. Scanlon, Superintendent of Schools
Joseph F. Morris, Principal, J. R. Fugett Middle School
Alma Mater..................................................................................................................Fugett Chorale and Band
Music and Lyrics by John Wylie and Frank Nefos
Reception Music (7:30 - 8:00 p.m. in cafeteria)................................................................ Fugett Select Strings
All guests are invited to tour the school at the conclusion of the Rededication Ceremony.
Refreshments are available in the cafeteria.
Joseph R. Fugett recognized the value
of a good education. As principal of the allblack
Gay Street School, he helped shape
the school into a fine institution that won
admiration and respect from black as well
as white citizens. In the process, Fugett
and his staff developed a sense of black
pride in their young students. Although he
was not directly involved in the desegregation
efforts of the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s,
Fugett helped pave the way by giving the
black population the education and selfpride
needed to stand up for their rights.
Joseph R. Fugett grew up on the family farm. He was
educated in Baldwinsville, New York, grammar schools
and graduated from high school in Waterloo, New York.
He received a B.S. degree in science and agriculture
from Cornell University, Ithaca, New York.
Although he studied agriculture, Fugett never
returned to the farm. Rather, he went from Cornell to
Tuskegee Institute, Alabama, where he as an animal
husbandry instructor and also came under the influence
of George Washington Carver. Later, he taught at
Bordentown High School in New Jersey and Delaware
State College. After coming to West Chester in 1920, he
studied at the University of Pennsylvania, which granted
him a master’s degree in education in 1926.
During his career in West Chester, Fugett was active
in the National Education Association and the Elementary
School Principals Association. He was a charter
member and president of the Suburban Philadelphia
Elementary School Principals Association. He was invited
by the (then) state Department of Public Instruction
to serve on a state-wide committee to prepare teaching
Joseph Russell Fugett
guides and related materials dealing with
intercultural understanding.
A number of other honors were
bestowed on Fugett. In 1945, he was
chosen secretary to Maj. R. R. Wright of
Philadelphia at the international organization
conference of the United Nations
in San Francisco; some 1,400 representatives
from forty-six nations attended
the conference. In 1957, he was cited at
Cheyney University’s commencement for
advancing education, serving the community,
and enlightening human relations.
In October 1965, Fugett was honored at ceremonies
formally renaming the Gay Street School after
him. Teachers, borough school board members, school
administrators, community leaders, and the parents
of children attending the school were present at the
ceremonies as well as the school principal at the time,
Donald S. Pitt. A proclamation was read designating
October 13, 1965, as “Joseph R. Fugett Day” in honor of
his service to the schools.
The school board resolution renaming the school
had been passed several months earlier, in June 1965. At
that time, school board president Dr. Elwood M. Spellman
said Fugett “was speaking out for better race relations
long before the others we hear today were standing
up and talking on the subject.”
Fugett died on July 7, 1975. In 1977, when the Fugett
Elementary School closed, the name was transferred to
what had been East Junior High School.
Excerpt taken from A Legacy of Learning
by Florence Sechler Miller
Joseph Russell Fugett
Gay Street School Principal, 1920-1955
The Gay Street School, reconstructed after
the 1908 fire, was sold to the West Chester
Borough in 1977 and razed in 1990.
Pictured from top to
bottom: front lobby
looking into the main
office; reading pit in
library; auditorium.
Renovations
Completely renovated:
All classroom areas
Administrative suite
Auditorium
Gymnasium
Library/media center
Cafeteria
Music suite
Relocated and upgraded:
Art suite
Technology Education
Family & Consumer Science
Construction of new
addition in July 2009
Construction of music
rooms on second floor
as of July 2008
Renovation
of Library
as of July
2009
Front Addition
Total square feet: 2,113
Student Council
School store
Television studio
Storage
Restroom facilities
Rear Addition
Total square feet: 1,104
Elevator
Prior to the West Chester Area School District
becoming official in 1966, the area Joint School Board
(comprised of members from surrounding townships
and the borough), faced a shortage of space for the everexpanding
numbers of students enrolled. In December
1964, the joint high school board approved the purchase
of a 50-acre site at the corner of Paoli Pike and Ellis Lane
in West Goshen Township. The price of the acquisition
was approximately $125,000. Settlement was scheduled
for April 1965.
Herman Cabassa, chairman of the board’s Building
and Property Committee, noted that the site met a
number of criteria: location, isolation from industrial
developments, road access, and availability of electric
power, sewers, and water. In addition, the site was large
enough for two schools - a new junior high and, possibly,
a new senior high. On April 26, 1965, the board
appointed Tobiessen-Wenger and Associates, Paoli,
architects for a new junior high, which opened as East
Junior High. Later, East High School was built on the
property.
In July 1966, the West Chester Area School District
assumed responsibility for completing construction
of East Junior High School. The design plan for East -
which would house 1,250 students - was approved by
the area board on August 22, 1966. The T-shaped building
included a three-story academic wing. An adjoining
two-story wing housed the kitchen and cafeteria on
one floor with the home economics and industrial arts
departments above. The two wings were bisected by the
long part of the T, which housed the gym, library, offices
and auditorium. Somers Construction Company was
named general contractor at a bid of $2,415,600.
The new junior high opened in the autumn 1969
and was dedicated on December 7. When it opened,
East Junior High housed all the district’s ninth graders
and some 275 tenth graders. The assignment of the
ninth and tenth graders to East and the transfer of sixth
grade students to North and Stetson were intended to
relieve overcrowding on the high school and elementary
school levels.
In September 1977, a complete reorganization to
a K-5, 6-9, 9-12 structure occurred. The closure of the
borough schools and the grade reorganization left the
district with eleven elementary schools, three middle
schools, and two high schools. East Junior High was
renamed Fugett Middle School by school board action
on March 28, 1977.
Excerpt taken from A Legacy of Learning
by Florence Sechler Miller
The Beginning of J. R. Fugett Middle School
Construction Summary
District Construction Team
Kevin Campbell, Director, Facilities & Operations
Mark Groves, Capital Program Manager
James Whitesel, Capital Projects Supervisor
Tim Burns, Capital Projects Coordinator
Architect
Gilbert Architects, Lancaster, PA
Construction Manager
General: ER Steubner, Inc.
Phase I Contractors
General: ER Steubner, Inc.
Plumbing: Guy Cooper Corp.
Heating/Ventilating/Air Conditioning:
Myco Mechanical, Inc.
Electrical: Wm. H. Clinger Corporation
Environmental: Crest Environmental Services
Phase II Contractors
General: ER Steubner, Inc.
Plumbing: J. R. Reynolds, Inc.
Heating/Ventilating/Air Conditioning: NB Rogers, Inc.
Electrical: Pagoda Electrical
Environmental: Crest Environmental Services
Phase III Contractors
General: ER Steubner, Inc.
Plumbing: TMI Commercial, Inc.
Heating/Ventilating/Air Conditioning: Worth & Co.
Electrical: Wm. H. Clinger Corporation
Environmental: Crest Environmental Services
WC
West Chester Area School District
829 Paoli Pike, West Chester, PA 19380
484-266-1000 ~ www.wcasd.net
The West Chester Area School District is an equal opportunity employer
and educational agency and affirms that it does not discriminate on the basis of race,
color, national origin, age, sex or handicapping condition.
This booklet was produced by the Communications Office of the West Chester Area School District
Editor & Graphics Designer: Ginny Zahn

Black Students Protesting @ U of MD

2009-11-26T10:58:00.000-05:00

Black Students Mount Protest at the University of Maryland

In what was one of the largest protests since the Vietnam War, hundreds of students on the campus of the University of Maryland College Park demonstrated against the elimination of the position of associate provost for equity and diversity. The position was eliminated in a budget cutting move. A part-time administrator will now take over the duties of the office.

While blacks are 13 percent of the total enrollments at the College Park campus, student protesters noted that the number of black freshmen has declined in recent years. This year there was a 28 percent decline in black freshman enrollments.

The associate provost for equity and diversity post has been held since 1999 by Cordell Black. Dr. Black will remain at the university as a tenured professor of seventeenth-century French literature

How the NFLPA Helps Former Players

2009-10-31T18:57:00.000-04:00

The following story appeared on NBC KARE 11’s (Minneapolis/St. Paul) website today. Former Viking Earsell Mackbee's final wish to go home grantedBy John Croman
Minneapolis, MN -- The 68-year-old man on the gurney rolling down the corridors at Hennepin County Medical Center Thursday afternoon could've been anyone, but once upon at time he wore number 46 for the Minnesota Vikings.Earsell Mackbee played cornerback for the Vikings from 1965 to 1971, leading the team in interceptions in 1967 and appearing in Superbowl IV. It was an NFL career delayed by four years he spent in the Air Force before finishing his college career at Utah State.In 2005 Mackbee suffered a stroke, and recently his condition worsened. "It's been a long, hard fight these last four years," Mackbee's daughter Marcee Harris said Thursday at HCMC, "A lot of ups and downs, a lot of hospitalizations and a lot of complications."On Thursday he was struggling with complications of pneumonia and an intestinal infection, as his children explained to the media why they were hoping to put him on an airplane to the west coast.When Mackbee still had voice he'd told his children that, when his time came, he'd rather die in his home town of Vallejo, California. Recently he continued to reinforce that last wish with nonverbal cues."He raises his eyebrows and he tries to smile or say something, or lift his hand a little bit," Harris said, "So we know we're doing the right thing for him."Mackbee grew up poor in a large family in that San Francisco Bay area city, an experience that later led him to work with at-risk youth at The City, Inc. after his pro football days ended. And yet the good memories of his youth tugged at his heart."He had a tough childhood," Harris said, "But he had so many funny and interesting, crazy stories from the neighborhood where he grew up, things with his brothers and sisters."His large extended family in California joined forces with his Minnesota children to try to make the voyage home a reality. Daughter Melanie Mackbee, who lives in northern California, said she had been working to get her father home for years."If he could make it that would be great," Melanie Mackbee told reporters, "I know his siblings want to say goodbye before he passes."With their father nearing death, Mackbee's children turned to the Internet and other resources to raise the money needed for a specialized medical flight to California. Mackbee's son Mateo said he was heartened by the outpouring of emotional support from old friends, but the cash wasn't coming in very quickly."We needed $26,000 to make the flight happen," son Mateo Mackbee said, "But because of the recent economic conditions we haven't been able to raise enough."Earlier in the week it appeared the clock was running down on Mackbee's final wish. And even if a money miracle came, his family worried he'd be too sick to fly. But Thursday morning they got their prayers were answered.They learned that the NFL Players Association would pick up most of the cost of the flight, through the Gene Upshaw Players Assistance Trust Fund. With time running short, a medical air taxi was booked immediately.Late Thursday afternoon HCMC staff rolled Mackbee out the front doors to a waiting ambulance, for his ride to Minneapolis Saint Paul International Airport. The sight of the old Viking's final victory evoked a mixture of tears and joy for his kids."We're happy to be able to grant him his final wish," Marcee Harris said, "But we're also a little sad to know this may be the last time we see him."Mackbee's youngest son Jeremy Stewart rode in the plane with his dad to make sure he'd have a familiar face on hand, as well as someone who could understand his father's gestures and expressions.Thursday night Jeremy reported the plane had arrived safely in California. Mackbee was headed first to a skilled nursing facility. Doctors and nurses there planned to assess his condition and decide the best medical setting for him."We would like to thank the NFL Players Association for their financial support, kind words of comfort and encouragement in such a difficult time," the family said later in a statement, "Thank you for giving hope to so many families of former NFL players that have no voice or a place to go for help"The family also gave special thanks to the Professional Athletes Foundation and its manager Tyrone Allen.

MHF

2009-09-08T10:38:00.000-04:00

Yahoo Settles Suit with NFL Players Association Over Fantasy Game Rights

2009-07-10T14:01:00.001-04:00

Sunnyvale, Calif. -- Yahoo said that it has settled its lawsuit against the National Football League Players Association (NFLPA) over a requirement that the company pay licensing fees to use players' names and statistics in online fantasy football games. "We did reach a settlement and we are going to explore other opportunities with the NFL players union to work together," Yahoo Sports spokeswoman Nicol Addison told Reuters. Yahoo sued the NFLPA in federal court in June, following a decision to not renew a previous license agreement that had expired. Last September, CBS and the NFLPA also sued one another over the issue of players' statistics in fantasy sports games. In April, the court ruled in favor of CBS, but that ruling is under appeal.
http://tech.yahoo.com/news/nm/20090707/tc_nm/us_yahoo_sports_3

Mr. Smith Gets Down to Business

2009-07-03T22:09:00.000-04:00

The new union leader’s quiz of some of the best-educated professional athletes in the country proceeds like this:

“How many people here know the National Football League is a non-profit?” DeMaurice Smith, the longtime Washington, D.C., lawyer asks 75 members of the Seattle Seahawks. No hands rise.

“How many people here know that the NFL has a special antitrust exemption granted to them by Congress?” Again, no hands. “We all understand the difference between a strike and a lockout?” Silence and blank stares.

A look at new NFL Players Association executive director DeMaurice Smith’s trip to introduce himself to the Seattle Seahawks.

Mr. Smith, elected in March to replace the late Gene Upshaw and lead the NFL Players Association, then asks how many players saw the news about the league’s new deal with DirecTV, which guarantees teams an additional $4 billion through 2014. They didn’t. He asks how many of the league’s new and renovated stadiums were paid for with tax dollars. They shake their heads in disbelief when he gives them the answer–virtually all of them.

These men, like many National Football League players, are essentially in the dark on the basic underpinnings of their league’s $8-billion juggernaut, even in an era when teenage phenoms speak of themselves as brands and approach their careers as sophisticated businessmen.

That’s about to change. After two months of visits with nearly every NFL team, Mr. Smith met Tuesday with the league’s player representatives to plot strategy for the upcoming negotiations in what may become the NFL’s most intense labor standoff in two decades. Team owners last year set the stage for this showdown when they voted to terminate the current collective-bargaining agreement after the 2010 season, two years ahead of schedule. Owners say the players’ share of the pie—about 60% of total revenues—is too large and needs to be scaled back.

‘Potential for Battle’

“There is an urgency,” says New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees. “We’ve been in a period of labor peace for a long time, and this is the first time you really feel the potential for a battle.”

The NFL Players Association’s approach is to educate players about how the league operates. That’s why Mr. Smith was in Seattle with the Seahawks last month.

“I’d say the learning curve for both the players and for me is pretty steep right now,” said Mr. Smith who has no previous experience in sports or labor.

His rank-and-file doesn’t disagree.

“I didn’t know any of this stuff until I met De a month ago,” said T.J. Houshmandzadeh, who signed with the Seahawks as a free agent during the offseason. “I don’t ever remember hearing stuff in depth like that.”

Mr. Houshmandzadeh was a player representative for the Cincinnati Bengals before signing with the Seahawks earlier this year.

The NFLPA was founded in 1956 but exerted little power during the next three decades. Players abandoned a strike in the middle of the 1987 season, and two years later the union decertified so it could take the league on in court on antitrust grounds. Only after it won a series of legal rulings did the NFLPA become a union again in 1993, reaching a collective-bargaining agreement with management that year. It now represents nearly 2,000 current players and thousands of retirees.

Mr. Upshaw, who led the Players Association for 25 years, took a top-down approach to his organization, sharing information only when he felt it necessary. The short length of the average player’s career—just over three seasons —and the league’s annual turnover rate of about 30% also make it difficult for the NFLPA to develop consistent leadership among players.

“The re-education process is a constant battle,” said Jeff Kessler, who was a close friend of Mr. Upshaw’s and is the chief labor counsel for both the NFL and NBA players unions. “You have to start over every year, and you hope some of the veterans bring the newcomers along.”

Most NFL players have spent at least four years on a college campus, unlike athletes in the other major professional sports leagues in the U.S. But NFL players say Mr. Upshaw told them that he would take care of their business—and in large part they let him—with decent results. Mr. Upshaw took over the Players Association in 1983, when the average player earned about $90,000 a year and players didn’t have the right to free agency.

After years of litigation, players won the right to free agency in 1992. By the time of his death in 2008, the average salary had grown to $1.75 million, though unlike in other sports, contracts are not guaranteed. Meanwhile the value of an NFL franchise has grown to more than $1 billion, and the owners own a cable channel, the NFL Network, valued at roughly $1.5 billion.

“For so long, I didn’t really want to get involved in that side of football,” said LaDainian Tomlinson, the San Diego Chargers’ running back and league’s most valuable player in 2006. “You listen to De, it’s very enlightening.”

Seahawks lineman Patrick Kerney said Mr. Upshaw’s visits to the team camps would occasionally descend into mudslinging, as players would challenge everything from his $6 million annual compensation package, to whether he flew first class or on a private jet to meet them.

“He’d get defensive when we would start asking questions,” Mr. Kerney said.

Jason Belser, a top lieutenant to both Mr. Upshaw and Mr. Smith, acknowledged that his former boss could be curt when players challenged him on the trappings of the position. “How do I say this diplomatically?” Mr. Belser asks. “That’s what comes along with the space you occupy and the time you occupy it.”

Mr. Smith is a former assistant U.S. Attorney and litigation partner at Patton Boggs who grew up in a family of ministers and attended Cedarville University, a Christian college in Ohio. He earns less than half of what Mr. Upshaw used to earn and flies economy class on his visits to NFL camps, which come at a crucial time for the players.

Just three months into his new job, Mr. Smith is mobilizing roughly 1,900 players for a fight against some of the most powerful businessmen in America.

Owners are seeking to slow the growth of the cap on players’ salaries, which has been going up from $5 million to $12 million per team each year. If the league doesn’t get a new deal before March there will be no ceiling or floor on player salaries for the 2010 season. Also, in the final year of the agreement, the league does not have to provide most player benefits.

As part of his effort to make the players conversant in the issues, Mr. Smith is stressing their value to their industry. Considering no one in the world can do their jobs as well as they can, that value is fairly high.

So, each time his questions meet blank stares—as they did at team meetings this spring—he follows up with basic lessons in the business of football.

Wearing his inside-the-Beltway pin-striped suit, he explains the basics of antitrust law, describing how The Home Depot and Lowe’s can’t get together and decide the price of a hammer, but NFL teams can jointly decide how much to sell the television rights for. He mentions that the NFL spent millions lobbying Washington legislators last year.

He explains how NFL teams secured billions in public subsidies for their stadiums because they promised the projects would produce jobs and their games would produce tax revenues. Then he argues that if the owners ultimately lock the players out and prevent the 100,000 people who work in those stadiums from doing their jobs, then they’ve gone back on their deal, and people need to know about it.

“This is how we need to start talking about our business,” he tells the players during the meeting with the Seahawks.

NFL officials say the league is not going back on any promises. Owners are simply focused on fixing a financial system they claim has been broken since 2006, when they agreed to boost the players’ share of total revenues from 57% to 60%.

Seeking Fairness

“Our goal is an agreement that is fair to the clubs, the players and the fans,” said Brian McCarthy, a league spokesman.

About 75 minutes into Mr. Smith’s seminar, the lessons begin to sink in.

Mr. Houshmandzadeh raises his hand and asks if it’s OK to start talking about the public funding for the stadiums and the anti-trust exemptions when sportswriters interview him in the locker room. Mr. Smith tells him he should, and if writers don’t publish his sentiments he shouldn’t talk to them anymore.

Then another player, veteran free safety Brian Russell, raises a question about the so-called voluntary spring workouts, known as Organized Team Activities, which are voluntary in name only. Mr. Russell says the coaches have been putting the players in one-on-one drills, which, as Mr. Russell recalls, aren’t supposed to take place during the pads-free spring workouts.

“Maybe you guys could stay around for practice?” Mr. Russell suggests. Mr. Smith and the four other NFLPA executives he has come here with do just that. No one-on-one drills take place, which doesn’t surprise Mr. Smith.

“The attitude from management to the players in the past has always been ‘Hey, you guys like this game, right?’ It’s pretty good, isn’t it,” he says, watching the Seahawks practice through his dark sunglasses. “I’m just trying to get these guys to think about more than fourth and one, or third and long.”

Kobe’s Next Conquest: China

2009-07-03T22:04:00.000-04:00

One of the great curiosities in modern sports is the Chinese people’s lavish affection for Kobe Bryant. During last year’s Beijing Olympics, he was greeted with a rapturous reception and mobbed everywhere he went. He appears in commercials and on billboards, has a popular Web site and had a reality show on Chinese television. He sells more NBA jerseys there than Yao Ming.

On Tuesday in Los Angeles, the love affair will reach a new level. Not only is Mr. Bryant accepting an award from the Asia Society for his work as a “cultural ambassador,” the ceremony will be attended by Liu Peng, China’s “Minister of Sport” and a member of China’s Communist Party Central Committee.

China’s embrace is largely an appreciation of Mr. Bryant’s basketball talent—he won his fourth NBA title earlier this month with the Los Angeles Lakers. “He reminds everyone of Michael Jordan,” says Shen Zhiyu, a senior basketball writer for Titan Sports, China’s largest sports daily.

But it is also a reflection of a deliberate campaign by Mr. Bryant to make inroads in the world’s most-populous country. In addition to his frequent visits to China (a planned trip in late July will be his fourth in as many years) and his considerable work on behalf of sponsor Nike, he’s assuming another identity: philanthropist.

In an attempt to tap into the Chinese government’s growing interest in promoting charity, Mr. Bryant is establishing the Kobe Bryant China Fund. The organization will partner with the Soong Ching Ling Foundation, a charity backed by the Chinese government, to raise money within China earmarked for education and health programs. Mr. Bryant’s existing fund, the Kobe Bryant Family Foundation, will also work to strengthen ties between the two countries by teaching middle-school students in the U.S. about Chinese language and culture. Mr. Bryant declined to say how much he is donating to the fund.

“At the elite level, China and the U.S. have already connected, but there is no grass-roots connection,” says Donald Tang, who is the founder and CEO of financial advisory firm CITIC Securities International Partners. Mr. Tang, who will help guide Mr. Bryant’s China fund, says the athlete’s popularity can help forge that connection. “I think he can be a one-man State Department, reaching directly to the people.”

On Tuesday, Mr. Bryant will accept an award from the Asia Society for his work in building cultural bridges to the country.

Mr. Bryant is the rare American star athlete with international credentials. He spent much of his childhood in Italy where his father, Joe Bryant, played professional basketball. He speaks Italian and Spanish. “I have a curiosity about other cultures and an openness to them, as a result of growing up overseas,” he says.

Mr. Bryant’s public image is not spotless. He has squabbled publicly with former teammate Shaquille O’Neal and drawn fire for his tactics in contract talks. In 2003, authorities in Colorado charged him with sexual assault. Mr. Bryant admitted having sex with his accuser but insisted it was consensual. The case was dismissed after his accuser declined to testify against him. A civil suit was settled out of court.

In China, none of that seems to matter. Terry Rhoads, the American managing director of Zou Marketing, a Shanghai sports consultancy who steered Nike’s entry into China, says Mr. Bryant seems to have a solid sense of how to navigate in the country. “Chinese fans adore Kobe on the court, but they also want to see affection for Chinese culture and people,” Mr. Rhoads says. “The more time he spends in China, the more he will endear himself to millions of basketball-loving Chinese.”

Mr. Rhoads says Mr. Bryant’s charitable initiative could have a profound impact on a nation that is just developing a culture of individual charitable efforts. After last year’s devastating earthquake in Sichuan, Mr. Yao personally donated about $293,000 and took donations from other NBA players. When Sichuan native Zhen Jie, a tennis player, made it to the semifinals of last year’s Wimbledon women’s singles draw, she donated her prize money to earthquake relief. These efforts were well received in China. The government seems to hope that philanthropy by athletes and other celebrities will encourage newly prosperous entrepreneurs to give money as well.

Mr. Bryant’s U.S.-focused Kobe Bryant Family Foundation, which has sponsored after-school programs in Los Angeles for several years. It will pay the salaries of four teachers who, beginning this fall, will teach Mandarin and Chinese culture to middle-school students.

“I want to help these kids see the possibilities of China and just understand that the world is much, much bigger than what they see around them,” Mr. Bryant says. “It helps show them that anything is possible and they should not be afraid to dream big. You’re not just locked in to one city.”

Mr. Bryant’s growing profile in China is good news for his sponsors and also for basketball, which has emerged as one of the country’s favorite sports. Nike has made significant investments in the country. With sales exceeding $1 billion, Nike says China is its second-largest market outside the U.S.

Sports have always played a large role in bridging between China and the outside world. Most famously, the “ping-pong diplomacy” of the early ’70s saw Chinese and American table-tennis teams compete against one another as a precursor to a thaw between the nations. The spectacle of the Beijing Olympics last year was China’s greatest-ever turn on the world stage. “China began promoting sports in this era because it was one of the few diplomatic channels open to it,” says Susan Brownell, an American professor who recently completed two years at Beijing Sport University’s Olympic Studies Centre.

Also, she says, a large part of Chinese public life consists of ceremonies and symbols rather than public debate. “Sports serve this function now because of their largely non-verbal character,” she says.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell's Letter To Retired Players And A Response From Atlanta

2009-07-02T13:53:00.000-04:00

By now many of you have received Commissioner Roger Goodell's letter on behalf of the Team Owners and his office endorsing the NFL Alumni and Fourth & Goal.I have attached it for those of you that did not get it for one reason or another...

He did not come to Atlanta, went to Dallas,Chicago and Baltimore, do not think he attended any other NFL cities due to his schedule,but he stated in his letter " met with retired players across our nation and listen to the issues that concern you most" ... for Atlanta was on his schedule at one point an time. I promised all of you that when his office let me know when he was coming , I would let you know... do not think it is going to happen, for the reports that I received from the cities he visited were just about what he wrote in the letter, lack of communication and representation. As the Commissioner of the NFL, do think he should have been a little bit more prepared when he visited those cities and former players.Instead of giving answers,recommendations and solutions to the many questions/issues that were asked of him;the report I got was " we will get back to you on that , let me do some research or you got a good point" Well that is
just sad ...if the letter that many of you received was in response to the many questions that were asked... Now he has coached or played football...for he stated in the letter "we can implement a game plan to tackle these issues head on" never once did he mention any issues or answered any-ones question that was asked of him from the meetings he had with the former players in those cities he visited...

Many of you were outraged (about 95%) by the letter and I heard you,got your e mails and phone calls, that is why I wanted you all to know my take on it...and do hope the 5% understands...

Do think the NFL Alumni is a good organization,when it comes to Caring for Kids,but when it come to Retired Players issues/benefits ie,education, insurance,pension increases,disability, widows & family benefits, there is only one organization that has been there.... The NFL Players Association...

The Commissioner was correct when he stated"for many years the NFL Owners have provided financial assistance to the NFL Alumni and we will continue to build upon that support".Then you were encouraged to join to support their efforts...Many of us that have been involved with the Alumni organization...know that organization has a history of no communication and no representation.For many years I paid my dues to the alumni,this year I did not re-join for those reasons, no communication or representation...have no idea when or where they meet...or even if they do, for we the NFLPA have monthly meetings and a convention, which are informative.

Do hope the NFL Alumni joins us in the NFLPA requesting a financial audit of the teams, since the NFL owners opted out of the Collective Barganing Agreement (CBA) 2 years early,for reasons the Commissioner nor the owners will say why,but if it is financial and they are losing money,where is the proof or evidence that they are, the new TV contract was increased tremendously,ticket prices are going up yearly and 40 plus million viewers watched the NFL draft...

DeMaurice Smith,NFLPA Executive Director since March of 2009 has sent 2 letters to the Commissioner and to my knowledge neither has gotten a response...

The first one dealt with the question of why did he and the NFL owners opted out of the CBA early,at least we the retired players as well as the active players would know the reason,plus it could help DeMaurice catch up as well, we should not have to assume, for you know what you get when you assume.Do think that was a fair question,since they were the ones that did not like the CBA and opted out 2 years early...

The second one was requesting a financial audit of each of the teams, that way if they are losing money,we retired and active players would know not assume...also think that was a fair question,unless it is none of our business, but do not think a true agreement can be reached with out financial transparency ...as I said.. too my knowledge, for that was my question to DeMaurice at the Presidents meeting with him at the convention,in Palm Springs , he only said "no comment." Which I took it as ...no you have not gotten a response.

We have communication and representation in the NFLPA and that is where we belong,do hope all the other organizations that have popped up in the past few years ( Quarterback Club,HOF Club,Dignity after Football,Fourth and Goal,Retired Players and others) support this effort on financial transparency... Have no idea if those other groups have an agenda or issues ...and if any of you know , please share... for I am soliciting their support on financial transparency of the NFL Teams...You are welcome to share or forward this e mail to all former/active players regardless of what group they support...

ESPN, just reported that Roger Goodell makes 10.7 million a year...sorry , but had to share..did not know that...

Do wish you and your family a safe and fun Independence Day...

Dewey McClain, President
Metro Atlanta Chapter NFLPA

We will have a breif meeting at the Family Day Outting on ,Saturday , July 11,2009 at the Belmont Village ...3pm

Live From Radio Show

2009-06-23T18:36:00.000-04:00

Tommey Polley as guest reporting on the new movie about the Dumbar Poets

Check out http://www.bigvisionfilms.com/-

Tickets still on sale @ 410-371-8743

"The Poet Pride" Movie debut This thursday June 25th from 6-10pm at the sports museum at Camden Yards.

'In Case You MIssed'

2009-06-15T16:38:00.000-04:00

Former New York City Mayor David Dinkins was among the political figures supporting the Reginald F. Lewis Foundation at a gala luncheon Saturday in East Hampton.

Lewis was a self-made man made and noted philanthropist whose desire to support a museum of African-American history and culture was made real by a posthumous donation of $5 million to create the Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History & Culture in Baltimore’s Inner Harbor.

What does Dinkins think about the Republican New York State Senate coup? “I’m saddened by the whole thing," says the Democrat. "There’s important legislation that needs to be passed. It’s so unfortunate we have this situation.”

Dinkins called Lewis a dear friend. “When you think that he died at 50, and my bride and I have a 55-year-old son now, that seems so young to me. I said on the occasion of his death he accomplished more in his 50 years than most people do in a lifetime. I have this expression, ‘Service to others is the rent we pay for space on this Earth.’ Reginald Lewis died paid in full. Hopefully he will not look down and see any of us in arrears.“

-LEE FRYD

2009-06-13T11:44:00.000-04:00

I’ve been on both sides of that deal. Watching the Detroit RedWings with their heads down last night after losing to the Penguins of Pittsburgh in the seventh and final playoff game reminded me how I felt for about a month after Super Bowl X. Did I, a member of the Dallas Cowboys, lose or was I a loser?

I won some big games too but never the biggest games. Heck, I lost to Williams my senior year. What kind of leader was I?

That’s why I admire Sydney Crosby. His accomplishment is awesome; the youngest captain to ever lift the Stanley Cup. Wow! I almost know what that feels like. I continue to claim that I was and am the youngest player in NFL history with a college degree. I know I am the youngest to graduate as an independent scholar with honors. I was 20, a year younger than Sydney.

I won too many games to be a loser. Check my career record from Cardinal Gibbons to Amherst, to the Cowboys and to the Redskins. I will add up the victories for you later, the point is we did not lose that Super Bowl game; the Pittsburgh Steelers won Super Bowl X. Last night the Pittsburgh Penguins the Stanley Cup.

Great season Red Wings. I am there with you.

How we worked with kids @ our recent convention photo courtesy The Desert Sun

2009-06-11T10:10:00.000-04:00

Mazio Royster, who retired in 1994 from Tampa Bay Buccaneers and is a member of the NFL Players Association, stays close to one of the kids from the Boys & Girls Club of Palm Springs at a fitness clinic Saturday at Palm Springs high school. Children ages 6 to 12 participated

Yahoo sues NFL Players Association over data

2009-06-04T01:07:00.000-04:00

MINNEAPOLIS -- Yahoo Inc. has sued the NFL Players Association, claiming it shouldn't have to pay royalties to use players' statistics, photos and other data in its popular online fantasy football game because the information is already publicly available.

Santa Clara, Calif.-based Yahoo filed its lawsuit Monday in federal court in Minneapolis.

According to the complaint, a licensing arm of the players union has threatened to sue Yahoo if it doesn't pay for the information. The last of Yahoo's licensing agreements with NFL Players Inc. expired March 1. But Yahoo claims it doesn't need authorization, due to a court decision in April in a similar dispute between NFL Players Inc. and CBS Interactive Inc.

Fantasy sports league participants create teams comprised of real players. As the season progresses, participants' track their players' statistics to judge how well their team is performing. According to the judge's decision in the CBS Interactive case, an estimated 13 million to 15 million people participate in fantasy football games that gross more than $1 billion a year.

Yahoo's lawsuit wants the court to declare that its game does not violate any rights of publicity owned or controlled by NFL Players Inc., and that any such rights would be trumped by the First Amendment and federal copyright law anyway. It also seeks to bar NFL Players Inc. from interfering with Yahoo's fantasy sports businesses, from threatening litigation, or making any statements that Yahoo or its customers are infringing the rights of NFL Players Inc.

NFL Players Association spokesman Carl Francis said the union had no comment at this time. It's appealing the decision in the CBS Interactive case.

The Major League Baseball Players Association and Major League Baseball Advanced Media lost a similar case in 2007 when the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that fantasy baseball company CBC Distribution and Marketing Inc. didn't have to pay the players, even though it profited by using their names and statistics. The judge in the CBS Interactive case relied heavily on the 8th Circuit's ruling.

Via: Washington Post

Retired Players Being Cautious

2009-06-03T11:02:00.000-04:00

Retired players angry with the N.F.L. Players Association over disability and pension benefits said that the executive director of the union might be ahead of himself in seeking their support during contract talks with the league. The informal group of former football players lashed out at comments made by DeMaurice Smith, the union’s executive director, who said Saturday that if there was a lockout by owners in 2011, retired player benefits would be reduced by 80 percent while it lasted. Several players meeting in Las Vegas about their problems with the union said their benefits were protected by law — lockout or not.

FIRST NYTIMES NEEDS TO GET THERE FACTS RIGHT!

This really upsets me that the media is too lazy to check their sources. I understand that it is tough to survey all retired players about their feeling and beliefs because there is so many of us but I do not like when we are in the media with a slanted story. In the mean time, I hope that the media will do its job and make it clear that only some of the retired players feel this way.

Some of our retired benefits are protected and that is the way it is. I really would love to know why the NYtimes only used information from a representative of some unhappy retired Players. The public deserves to get both sides of the story.

Fire Damage NFLPA office

2009-06-02T13:49:00.000-04:00

WASHINGTON (AP) -- A small fire has damaged the office of NFL players' union head DeMaurice Smith.

The union says the fire started in a bathroom off the office at about 5 a.m. Tuesday. No one was in the building and the fire was doused by a sprinkler system.

Union spokesman George Atallah says there was more water damage than fire damage. There was some concern of damage to items belonging to the late Gene Upshaw, Smith's predecessor as executive director.

Atallah says the union and Washington fire department are investigating.
Thanks to NYtimes-
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2009/06/02/sports/AP-FBN-NFLPA-Fire.html?_r=1&emc=eta1

2009-06-02T10:36:00.000-04:00

OPEN LETTER TO ALL NFL PLAYERS CURRENTLY INACTIVE OR RETIRED

June 2, 2009

At the recently concluded 25^th Anniversary NFLPA Retired Players Convention in Palm Springs, California, the retired players passed a unanimous resolution joining the active NFL Players in their demand calling on the NFL owners to provide independently audited financial statements for their member teams.

In a second unanimous resolution, it was resolved to reach out to all our retired brothers to unify for this single demand for independent financial statements from the NFL teams because it was the NFL that cancelled our Collective Bargaining Agreement.

We will continue to work for the improvement of the pension and disability system and other benefits for all retired NFL Players.

We believe that there is only one locker room and there is only one team. Active, inactive or retired, we are all NFL Players.

~ONE LOCKER ROOM ONE TEAM~

Brandon Fugett National Champion

2009-05-24T09:16:00.000-04:00

May 23, 2009

BEEBE, FUGETT WIN FIRST-EVER TRACK AND FIELD NATIONAL TITLES FOR SU; TEAM PLACES FOURTH OVERALL

MARIETTA, Ohio - Salisbury University's trio of men's track and field All-Americans entered this weekend's 2009 NCAA Division III Outdoor Track and Field Championships with high expectations and on Saturday afternoon the Sea Gulls delivered at Don Drumm Stadium on the campus of Marietta College.

Juniors Cory Beebe and Brandon Fugett became the first-ever SU track and field athletes to win a national title in an individual event. Beebe ran the fastest 400-meter hurdle time in Division III this season as he crossed the finish line with a time of 51.28 seconds. Fugett tossed the shot put a Division III best distance of 58 feet and 10 and a quarter inches (17.94 meters) to win the event. Beebe, Fugett and fellow junior Delannie Spriggs (second in the 100-meter dash) all earned All-American honors for their respective performances on Saturday. The three All-American honors up SU's men's track and field program total to 13.

The Salisbury trio also accumulated 28 team points to finish fourth overall in the final men's team standings. This is the highest team finish in Sea Gull track and field history. Wisconsin-Oshkosh won the national championship with 46 points to edge out McMurry University (40 points) and University of St. Thomas, who took third.

Fugett got things started on Saturday afternoon as he won round one, flight one in the shot put with the record distance of nearly 59 feet. In the finals, his throw of 58 feet and 10 and a quarter inches held up to win the men's shot put national title. Fugett's throw also set a new SU school record and a Don Drumm Stadium record which was previously held by Mount Union's Justin Archer (55 feet, one inch) set on May 13, 2006. Fugett edged out Wisconsin La Crosse senior thrower Bobby Riley who was an inch short. Fugett gained 10 team points for the Sea Gulls. It was Riley who edged Fugett out for the 2009 indoor national title in the shot put with a toss of 17.51 meters to Fugett's second place toss of 16.86 meters.

Beebe torched the field in the 400-meter hurdles as he crossed the finish line in 51.28 seconds. Like Fugett, Beebe's time sets a new SU school record and a Don Drumm Stadium record. Coincidently, the previous stadium record was held by Beebe when he ran for Heidelberg College. Beebe's old stadium record was 53.24 seconds set on May 13, 2006 when Beebe was a freshman. This is the third All-American honor for Beebe in the 400-meter hurdles, first at SU, and his first national title in the event. His previous best finish was fifth in 2007 where he ran a 56.16. The year before he placed sixth. He did not run at nationals last season. Beebe beat Wisconsin-Oshkosh junior Ben Zill who finished second with a time of 52.07 seconds. The day before, Beebe ran the fastest qualifying time as he was clocked at 51.44 seconds. Beebe earned 10 crucial team points as the final four men's events finished out on Saturday.

Spriggs just missed out on the Salisbury hat trick of three national individual titles as he placed second in the 100-meter dash. The junior sprinter renewed his budding rivalry with Springfield College junior Stephen Headley. The two met this year in the national indoor championships where Headley won the 55-meter dash with a time of 6.24 seconds ahead of Sprigg's 6.30 seconds second-place mark. On Saturday, Headley finished in the 100-meter finals in first place with a time of 10.51 seconds. The two won their respective qualifying heats on Friday evening as Spriggs took the first heat (10.67 seconds) while Headley took the third heat (10.68 seconds). The final on Saturday had a wind factor of -1.4 m/s. Sprigg's garnered eight team points with the second place finish. This is Spriggs' second outdoor All-American honor and fourth total in his track and field career.

On Friday, Fugett finished ninth overall in the men's discus throw and just missed the top eight cut for Saturday's national final. Fugett threw the discus 156 feet (47.54 meters) and was an inch short of eighth place.

The future is bright for the SU men's track and field program as the trio is slated to return for their senior seasons next year to anchor a veteran Sea Gull squad.

Now God Can Watch Practice

2009-05-04T16:07:00.000-04:00

The hole in the roof of Texas Stadium was left so that God could see his favorite team – the Dallas Cowboys. That’s what they told us my rookie year as a Cowboy in 1972, the first full season the NFL played in Texas Stadium on our way to becoming America’s favorite team too!

Texas is wonderful in so many ways and nothing interested me more than the legends and sayings handed down by those tough determined people who continue to settle Texas today.

Texans are tough hombres. Leonard Elmore has to be a fan of the Texas Rangers. Not the Nolan Ryan MLB Rangers; the REAL Texas Rangers. I will never forget when Russell and I visited The Texas Ranger Museum in Waco, Texas. The visit left me with a sense of just how tough Texans are. The people heading west could have continued on to California!

Only time will tell what tales will be told about the day the roof collapsed on the Dallas Cowboys. Even tough hombres recognize the hand of God. Now God can watch practice.

EVERYBODY GET WELL REAL SOON!!!

ALERT TO FRIENDS IN TEXAS & CALIFORNIA

2009-04-26T12:34:00.000-04:00

Human Swine Influenza Investigation

April 26, 2009 11:30 ET

Human cases of swine influenza A (H1N1) virus infection have been identified in the United States. Human cases of swine influenza A (H1N1) virus infection also have been identified internationally. The current U.S. case count is provided below.

U.S. Human Cases of Swine Flu Infection
State	# of laboratory confirmed cases
California	7 cases
Kansas	2 cases
New York City	9 cases
Ohio	1 case
Texas	2 cases
TOTAL COUNT	21 cases
International Human Cases of Swine Flu Infection See: World Health Organization
As of April 26, 2009 9:00 AM ET

Investigations are ongoing to determine the source of the infection and whether additional people have been infected with swine influenza viruses.

CDC is working very closely with officials in states where human cases of swine influenza A (H1N1) have been identified, as well as with health officials in Mexico, Canada and the World Health Organization. This includes deploying staff domestically and internationally to provide guidance and technical support. CDC has activated its Emergency Operations Center to coordinate this investigation.

Laboratory testing has found the swine influenza A (H1N1) virus susceptible to the prescription antiviral drugs oseltamivir and zanamivir and has issued interim guidance for the use of these drugs to treat and prevent infection with swine influenza viruses. CDC also has prepared interim guidance on how to care for people who are sick and interim guidance on the use of face masks in a community setting where spread of this swine flu virus has been detected. This is a rapidly evolving situation and CDC will provide new information as it becomes available.

There are everyday actions people can take to stay healthy.

Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.
Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. Alcohol-based hands cleaners are also effective.
Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs spread that way.

Try to avoid close contact with sick people.

Influenza is thought to spread mainly person-to-person through coughing or sneezing of infected people.
If you get sick, CDC recommends that you stay home from work or school and limit contact with others to keep from infecting them.

Topics on this page:

General Information

Swine Flu and You
What is swine flu? Are there human infections with swine flu in the U.S.? …

Swine Flu Video Podcast
Dr. Joe Bresee, with the CDC Influenza Division, describes swine flu - its signs and symptoms, how it's transmitted, medicines to treat it, steps people can take to protect themselves from it, and what people should do if they become ill.

Key Facts about Swine Influenza (Swine Flu)
How does swine flu spread? Can people catch swine flu from eating pork? …

Swine Influenza in Pigs and People
Brochure

Información en español
Datos importantes sobre la influenza porcina…

Summary Guidance

CDC has provided the following interim guidance for this investigation.

Residents of California and Texas

CDC has identified human cases of swine influenza A (H1N1) virus infection in people in these areas. CDC is working with local and state health agencies to investigate these cases. We have determined that this virus is contagious and is spreading from human to human. However, at this time, we have not determined how easily the virus spreads between people. As with any infectious disease, we are recommending precautionary measures for people residing in these areas.

Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.
Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. Alcohol-based hands cleaners are also effective.
Try to avoid close contact with sick people.
If you get sick, CDC recommends that you stay home from work or school and limit contact with others to keep from infecting them.
Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs spread that way.

There is no vaccine available at this time, so it is important for people living in these areas to take steps to prevent spreading the virus to others. If people are ill, they should attempt to stay at home and limit contact with others. Healthy residents living in these areas should take everyday preventive actions.

People who live in these areas who develop an illness with fever and respiratory symptoms, such as cough and runny nose, and possibly other symptoms, such as body aches, nausea, or vomiting or diarrhea, should contact their health care provider. Their health care provider will determine whether influenza testing is needed.

Clinicians

Clinicians should consider the possibility of swine influenza virus infections in patients presenting with febrile respiratory illness who:

Live in San Diego County or Imperial County, California or San Antonio, Texas or
Have traveled to San Diego and/or Imperial County, California or San Antonio, Texas or
Have been in contact with ill persons from these areas in the 7 days prior to their illness onset.

If swine flu is suspected, clinicians should obtain a respiratory swab for swine influenza testing and place it in a refrigerator (not a freezer). Once collected, the clinician should contact their state or local health department to facilitate transport and timely diagnosis at a state public health laboratory.

State Public Health Laboratories

Laboratories should send all unsubtypable influenza A specimens as soon as possible to the Viral Surveillance and Diagnostic Branch of the CDC’s Influenza Division for further diagnostic testing.

Public Health /Animal Health Officials

Officials should conduct thorough case and contact investigations to determine the source of the swine influenza virus, extent of community illness and the need for timely control measures.

Guidance Documents

Interim Guidance for Swine influenza A (H1N1): Taking Care of a Sick Person in Your Home Apr 25, 2009

Interim Guidance on Antiviral Recommendations for Patients with Confirmed or Suspected Swine Influenza A (H1N1) Virus Infection and Close Contacts Apr 25, 2009

Interim Recommendations for Facemask and Respirator Use in Certain Community Settings Where Swine Influenza A (H1N1) Virus Transmission Has Been Detected Apr 26, 2009

Swine Influenza A (H1N1) Virus Biosafety Guidelines for Laboratory Workers Apr 24, 2009
This guidance is for laboratory workers who may be processing or performing diagnostic testing on clinical specimens from patients with suspected swine influenza A (H1N1) virus infection, or performing viral isolation.

Interim Guidance for Infection Control for Care of Patients with Confirmed or Suspected Swine Influenza A (H1N1) Virus Infection in a Healthcare Setting Apr 24, 2009

Interim Guidance on Case Definitions to be Used For Investigations of Swine Influenza A (H1N1) Cases Apr 26, 2009
This document provides interim guidance for state and local health departments conducting investigations of human cases of swine influenza A (H1N1) virus. The following case definitions are for the purpose of investigations of suspected, probable, and confirmed cases of swine influenza A (H1N1) virus infection.

Travel Notices

Outbreak Notice: Swine Influenza in the United States
April 25, 2009 12 p.m. EDT

Travel Health Precaution: Swine Influenza and Severe Cases of Respiratory Illness in Mexico
April 25, 2009 12 p.m. EDT

Courtesy Journal of Blacks in Higher Education

2009-04-24T11:17:00.001-04:00

Milestone Appointment at the University of Maryland

Phoebe Haddon was named the ninth dean of the University of Maryland School of Law. She is the first African American to lead the law school in its 185-year history. Haddon will take over as dean on July 1. The latest data from the American Bar Association shows that blacks make up 13.6 percent of the students at the University of Maryland School of Law. There are only three law schools in the country at predominantly white universities with a higher percentage of black students.

Haddon is currently a professor at the Beasley School of Law at Temple University in Philadelphia. She has served on the Temple faculty since 1981. Previously, she was an attorney for the prestigious Washington law firm Wilmer, Cutler & Pickering.

Haddon is a graduate of Smith College. She earned her law degree at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, where she was the editor of theDuquesne Law Review.

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Human Swine Influenza Investigation

General Information

Summary Guidance

Residents of California and Texas

Clinicians

State Public Health Laboratories

Public Health /Animal Health Officials

Guidance Documents

Travel Notices

Courtesy Journal of Blacks in Higher Education